Thumped by Megan McCafferty

Title: Thumped
Author: Megan McCafferty
Pages: 304
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
My rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.49 stars
Published: April 24, 2012

Description:

It’s been thirty-five weeks since twin sisters Harmony and Melody went their separate ways. And now their story has become irresistible: twins separated at birth, each due to deliver twins…on the same day!

Married to Ram and living in Goodside, Harmony spends her time trying to fit back into the community she once believed in. But she can’t forget about Jondoe, the guy she fell for under the strangest of circumstances.

To her adoring fans, Melody has achieved everything: a major contract and a coupling with the hottest bump prospect around. But this image is costing her the one guy she really wants.

The girls’ every move is analyzed by millions of fans eagerly counting down to “Double Double Due Date.” They’re two of the most powerful teen girls on the planet, and they could do only one thing to make them even more famous:

Tell the truth.

Wow.  I was expecting something of a "wow" factor to this, but not with such a heavy punch that this book packed.  As an adult reading this book {and having seen far too many episodes of MTV's 16 and Pregnant}, this book {along with the first} just seems almost like its encouraging girls to get pregnant.  I could not be more wrong!

While I really enjoy this book, I felt like Melody and Harmony's characters were starting to blend into one person.  Maybe that's what Megan McCaffety wanted.  In the first book, the two girls were so very different that it wasn't hard knowing each chapter I was going to a different perspective.  There were times with Thumped that I had to mentally question who's perspective I was reading at that time {it was Melody}.  However, that just goes to show how much Harmony changed since her time outside of Goodside.  But, if you've read the first book, you know that she's a bit of an outcast in Goodside because of her questioning ways already.

I was very happy with how the male characters changed from the beginning of the book to the end {so typically female, wanting the men to change!}.  At the beginning, I didn't see a whole lot of Zen, and he was kind of confusing.  Johndoe was straight up annoying at the start of the book, but very quickly became endearing.  But Zen is still my favorite.

Both Bumped and Thumped read a lot like Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy with all the slang.  At one point in both books they talk about the different procedures people have to make themselves looks more "normal" and alike, and I felt like maybe I was reading about people becoming "pretty".  Do not get me wrong, I loved Uglies, Pretties and Specials.  Westerfeld is a great writer, as is Megan McCafferty.  I was able to picture Melody in her school, wearing her branded t-shirt, etc.  I love it when I can picture the world that the story is taking place, because that helps me enjoy it all the more!

I would, however, really like more story on Zen... is that too much to ask? ;-)